Another Visa Denied, A Winter Wonderland, And New Years Fireworks On An Island

My winter break took place between December 20th and January 1st.  I have made a point of going skiing eat least once a year every year since 2016.  This year, like last year, I went to northern China.  Unlike my trip to Lake Songhua Ski resort last year, this year I went to Yabuli Ski Resort.  Yabuli is even farther north than Songhua.  It is about a 3 hour drive outside of Harbin.  

On December 20th I hopped on a plane to Harbin and then took a taxi to Yabuli.  I had arranged my trip through the same tour agency I had booked with last year so everything was already sorted.  My hotel was right beside the slopes and my reservation included lift passes. ski/equipment rentals, and clothing rentals.  I had brought my own clothing but made use of the rental equipment.  

Yabuli was fun.  The temperature was between -20 and -30C (-4 to -22F) most of the time with wind.  The accommodation, trails, and snow conditions were honestly a bit disappointing.  The hotel, although directly beside the slopes, was not the 5 star hotel it was advertised to be.  Yabuli resort only had one active gondola style lift and the trails were mostly black diamonds.  This led to me quickly expending a lot of energy as I tore down the mountain.  The snow was even icy in some patches which was perhaps the most disappointing part. Last year in Lake Songhua was much better.  All that said, I did enjoy, and make the most of, the Yabuli skiing experience.  I got in about 5-6 runs per day, took plenty of breaks for drinks, coffee, cocoa, or food, and also purchased day/night passes to hang out at the Yabuli Club Med where I ate lots of food, used the pool, hot tub, and sauna, and got a massage. 

After I was done skiing I went to Harbin from the 23rd-25th.  I went with a tour group.  I took an hour long train ride from Yabuli to Harbin and was picked up at the station on arrival.  Then we ate some local dumplings, walked beside the frozen river, and went to the ice and snow festival.  

After a very long day I finally checked into my hotel in Harbin. 

On the 24th we visited Sophia Church, The Daoli Vegetable Market, Sun Island and the Harbin the Tiger Reserve.  Afterward I went to the Dragon Tower with another person who had joined the tour and then we got dinner. 

Afterward I went to the hotel pool and sauna. 

On the 25th we went to Volga manor before being dropped at the airport.  We watch a performance, rode on a slide, and drank vodka from glasses made of ice. 

I returned to Shenzhen for a night on the 25th and then flew to Bangkok on the 26th. 

Upon arriving in Bangkok I took a taxi to Jomtien beach (near Pattaya) and settled in for some comfortable time on the beach. I stayed in Jomtien from the 26th-29th. I spent the 27th walking around and relaxing on the beach.  Then next day I did the same thing on an island called Koh Lan. 

I made use of the airport VIP lounge in Shenzhen. 

On my way back to Bangkok I took a grab.  The grab got into a minor fender bender.  It was rear-ended.  I took some butterfly photos and got some durian while waiting for my replacement grab. 

Although Faye was not initially planning to join me in Thailand she ended up changing her mind.  So I canceled my return flight on the 29th and booked a return flight for both of us on the 1st.  She came to join me on the 29th and we stayed in Bangkok for a night and then Pattaya for two. We got a massage and did some shopping in Bangkok on the 30th.  Then on the 31st we went to Koh Lan. We had originally planned to leave Koh Lan and celebrate the ringing of the new year in Pattaya but got stuck on the island until 1am because we missed the last ferry off the island.  So we celebrated on the island instead.  We returned to Pattaya after 1am on the barge from which the fireworks had been launched.  The videos below are not in the correct order like the ones above.  At this point I am just trying to get this blog posted and do not care if the photos and videos are in the right order. 

Returning to work after this break was a bit hard. I am once again counting down to my next vacation. 

This weekend I took care of some important errands.  I applied for a credit card at the bank and got a passport photo taken.  Despite only having gotten the passport in 2022 I already need a new one because the pages are filling up quick.  

Faye and I were planning to go to Australia in February.  Unfortunately her visa was denied in December.  She was pretty upset.  I tried very hard to cheer up by redirecting her attention to making alternative plans.  Eventually she came around and we made a very nice back-up plan.  We are going to Da Nang (Vietnam), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Sri Lanka, and Krabi (Thailand) for our next trip.